Tasks
The project to establish the Centre for Research on Sexual Violence against Children and Adolescents (ZEFSG) was launched in October 2024. This marked the start of the first funding period, with the German Youth Institute (DJI) being awarded the project, which it carried out together with the Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy at Ulm University Hospital.
Regular surveys of children and adolescents in schools
The ZEFSG’s main task is to regularly conduct surveys of children and adolescents in schools, to determine how often they are affected by sexual violence. The data and information collected is then shared with the Independent Federal Commissioner Against Child Sexual Abuse (UBSKM), who in turn reports these findings to the German Parliament, the Bundesrat (Federal Council) and the Federal Government.
A special feature of the Centre is its participatory approach. In practice, this means that people from a range of fields are involved in designing the school surveys, not just academics and researchers. Firstly, this includes young people who are given a say in designing and evaluating the surveys. And alongside them, people who were affected by sexual violence in their childhood or adolescence, as well as experts from specialist support and counselling services, criminology, sports science, etc., are also consulted (see the “Participation” section for more details).
Participating institutions
Timeline:
The first phase of the ZEFSG is scheduled to run from 2024 to 2027. In addition to the establishment of the ZEFSG and its structures, this period should also see data collected for the first time through the “Safe!” study on how many adolescents in Germany are affected by violence. The findings will be incorporated into the UBSKM’s report shared with the German Parliament, the Bundesrat (Federal Council) and the Federal Government.
2024
Establishment Committees
2025
Fieldwork
2026
Findings
2027
Reporting